Thamilchelvan stresses urgent needs to Norway, international NGOs

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 December 2004, 10:38 GMT]Mr. Thamilchelvan, Head of the LTTE Political Wing, met with representatives of more than 60 international and UN aid agencies in Kilinochchi at 11.30 am Thursday. The urgent needs of the NorthEast, caused by the tsunami which struck the coast on Sunday, were explained to the representatives. He stated both the immediate needs of those affected by the tsunami and their more intermediate needs. He explained that whatever little infrastructure has been built up was damaged or destroyed by the tsunami, sources in Kilinochchi told TamilNet. Further details of the meeting are yet to be disclosed.

Mr. Thamilchelvan also spoke of the more devastating psychological impacts of the tsunami, given that after two decades of war, the people of the North-East have been attempting to rebuild their lives over the past three years.

Sources said that Mr. Hans Brattskar, the Norwegian Ambassador to Sri Lanka, was also briefed by Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan earlier Thursday morning at the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi.

Mr. Bratskar was requested to convey the urgency of the situation to both his government and the Sri Lanka government, said sources in Kilinochchi.

Further details of the meeting are expected to be released by the LTTE's Peace Secretariat shortly.